me & my flame pts. 4-7
by wild charizard
Summary: *Now* what's Chad Charizard got himself into? Up on the block at a Team Rocket auction! Who will buy our hero???


#####  Chad felt fine so far. He could pretend to be sleepy, then attack. It all made sense.

"Next auction starting in . . .five minutes," echoed the loud voice. "One Vileplume with two Oddish."

". . .Chad?"

Chad snapped out of it. "Yeah?"

Mo looked up at him. "Where are they taking those flower people?"

"On stage I guess." As Chad watched the humans trying to wake the Vileplume and handle the Oddish, he felt dizzy and relaxed. He started to sit. . .and jumped back up. He could fight this. He would stay on his feet, forcing his body to remain awake and alert. Awake! Alert! He blinked, looking around, concentrating on keeping his energy up. How had they done it? And when?

That treat. It had tasted so good. Another nasty trick by the human species; Chad couldn't trust the food from their hands. The anger that coursed through him made him jerk his head back up.

The auctioneer motioned for the attendants to bring the Vileplume onstage. On the stage, its legs wilted, weighted down by its heavy head, and a human had to squat behind it and keep it from tipping backwards.

"Straight from the remote and dangerous Gloomleaf forest!" the auctioneer was shouting without the microphone. "For unknown reasons Vileplumes are in decline--if you've been there you'll know it's near impossible to spot one! You can have your very own Wild Vileplume, fully evolved, straight from nature and ready to battle! How do they evolve out there? Where is that legendary cave of evolution stones? No one knows! But the work has been done for you! A little training and this Pokemon will boost your team and your badges! And with this Vileplume come two Oddish, in perfect health and ready to go!"

He gently tipped the Vileplume's back petals from underneath, showing the bright crimson flower to the crowd. "Not a scratch! Beautiful. All our Pokemon are drugged for safety but they will revive in minutes with the potion that goes FREE to the winning bidder. Owner starts the bidding at 15 thousand! Do I hear twenty?"

That airy, tingly feeling mixed up Chad's head, made him want to melt onto the floor. But he would not pass out on what might be his only jab at freedom. It felt like ages since he'd spread his wings. He wobbled forward and back, propping himself up with his tail. 

Mo poked Chad, jumping in front of him again; Chad looked down and saw his scared face swirling before him. "Are you okay?" he shouted from the end of a tunnel. "Chad!"

"I'm all right."

". . .Sold! for two hundred five thousand Pokéyens!" the auctioneer finished. Chad listened to the jumble of talking humans, then the microphone jolted him back from the edge of sleep. `"Next auction in. . .twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes. Then another waiting period before he was up. Well, this was the test. He just had to stand here and stay awake. . .

". . .Vileplume with one defective petal, minor battle scar, should heal right over with a little potion! Starting bid is ten thousand. . ." 

Mo's little paw was swatting his leg, the highest part that the kitten could reach. 

"Wake up, Chad! Why won't you wake up. . ."

Chad forced his eyelids open. He had fallen asleep on his feet, head and horns against the forcefield. Mo's voice, the nimble ramble of the auctioneer, the bidders' shouts all melded into one. "Next auction. . .twenty minutes. . ."

Humans invaded his cage, touching him, handling him, closing a cold metal collar round his neck. One scooped Mo up; Chad gave a weak growl as the woman petted him and talked in a soothing voice. Chad's hands groped and flexed, like a charmander hatching; he opened his mouth and forgot why he had opened it. Everywhere was a swirl of walls, humans, voices. He leaned on the nearest person for support as they led him out by a metal pole fastened to his collar. He watched the floor flow past between his clumsy feet; one foot lifted then landed across the other. He kept forgetting what direction he was going and couldn't summon the concentration to even scratch anyone. When he reached the stage stairs he sat down and yawned, knowing through the mental haze that there was no reason for him to climb them.

". . .need some help here. . ." More talking, more humans, surrounded him. They hauled him up by the metal poles, uncurling him from sleep. Chad stumbled, bumping knees and toes, practically falling up the steps. Hands pushed on his lower back and legs. 

". . .he's tired, folks; he's drugged for safety. But a little potion will pep him up. . ."

Onstage, Chad blinked his eyes open. Where was that door again? What door, exactly, had he been concentrating on? The rows of humans, a mottled forest of clothes and hairy heads just below his level, swayed and spun. Sleep. Chad lay down onstage. His horns hit the stone a little harder than he'd intended, and helet his head loll to the side. He heard the titter of fond laughter from the crowd.

"Will you just look at this specimen! Young male straight from the restricted Charizard Island! They need to draw your name from a lottery for you to even go there, the last place in the world where they still fly wild! A hundred percent wild-grown--tough as nails and already evolved! This fellow's a little temperamental but give him some TLC and you'll have a one-Pokémon team! May I also draw your attention to this adorable Meowth kitten going FREE to the highest bidder! This chance won't come again--this is the auction you all came here for! Owner starts the bidding at forty thousand Pokéyens. . ."

Chad rolled on his back and lay with his head spinning, everything in motion, a jumble of sounds coming in his ears. The floor was moving, going upside down with him barely held to it by gravity. The auctioneer's voice floated in waves. 

Chad sat up, still in a daze, just emerging on the other side of rock bottom. Escape! But where was the door. . .He tried to get up and lost his balance. He collapsed on the floor, and lay building the strength to try again. Human feet stood near his head; he propped himself up on his sinewy arms. Escape. . .

". . . going twice. . .Sold! for 600,000 Pokéyens, congratulations, young man. . ."

Chad got his feet under him. Concentrating to stay upright, he held his arms and wings out. What was it he had to do? The door. . .no, first he had to flame the hell out of these humans! How could he have forgotten? Bracing himself up with his tail, he looked around, fighting heavy eyelids. A couple of bursts--

"--he's waking up, get the ball--" 

The ball struck Chad between the wings. He never did find the door.

The auctioneer tucked Dorien's check away and held out the pokeball and potion. He clapped the young man on the shoulder; Dorien looked at the hand. "Good luck, kid. If there ever was a tough one, it's a wild charizard. And this is the charizard from hell. We're required by law to warn you that he's never been tame and he'll try to flame you to death. Will you just sign these papers?"

Dorien scribbled his signature on each line they pointed to, clipped the ball to his belt and put the potion in his pack. "There's no Pokémon I can't train." He turned to leave.

"You're forgetting this little guy. He's the charizard's friend." The woman held out Mo. Dorien took a ball from his backpack, put Mo in and clipped that ball next to Chad's. He gave one stiff nod to both of them and turned on his heel, hands in his pockets as he walked out the door.

Please review! 


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